John Fielder's Blog

Virtual Coaching ~ That's Email Coaching, in'it?

2009-07-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

Two years ago I was introduced to Virtual Coaching and as a Master Coach, this became for me the beacon that would illuminate the future of coaching on a 24/7/365 world wide basis. Imagine being able to coach across time zones, turning your client’s night into your day and utilising the internet as the enabling tool that brought the whole worlwide virtual coaching partnership together.

Is that brilliant or what? However over the last two years we are just seeing the beginnings of the paradigm shift that is necessary to reduce the monotonous assertion from potential clients that they know all about emails and why should they pay a premium for someone typing questions that they respond to. Surely everyone can do that?

Now I let people wander away secure in their delusions and instead of explaining I send them a web link to my Coaching Interactive Virtual Coaching site, suggest they log in for a free “My Life” session and when they have finished either give me a call, write me note from the secure environment of the Coaching Interactive platform or sign up for one of the many self coaching programmes available, which include career planning, redundancy management, and a whole host of free coaching tools.

Over these two years we have developed the Coaching Interactive platform so that it incorporates audio and video coaching, full library facilities, Skype links, interactive client bookable diaries, task generators and full on line training and webinar facilities. Plus all is documented so nothing is ever forgotten. Can you guarantee that in the 30 minutes race for results inherent in telephone coaching?

In fact it is now so professional that it is the internet coaching platform for Robin Sharma, Byron Katie and Deepak Chopra.

The marvellous thing about Virtual Coaching is that your client can set their own time frame, and work on their programme when they want to; secure in the knowledge that within just a few hours you will have responded and be there to support them.

And as I hear from so many coaches who are just beginning to realise what Virtual coaching really is, “Wow, I thought that it was just email coaching, and now I see that it’s far more than that!” How can I get on board this? Well if you are interested then click here!

Yes it is far more than just that, and so is the rigorous training that is required before you become an accredited interactive virtual coach.

There are signs that the paradigm is shifting, corporate interest is being shown and the public results of one our Coaching Interactive clients hit the “One Show” recently.

Think out of the box, think Virtual Coaching and sign up for your free demonstration.

John Fielder is an experienced and accredited Master Coach, certified NLP Coach, NLP Master and NLP Trainer.

He is also a Chartered HR and Management professional (MCIPD & FCMI) with proven expertise in coaching, training, transition management, assessment centres and career development.

You can contact him at 01344 303370, http://www.johnfielder.holisticlocal.co.uk/ or johnfielder@btopenworld.com

Coaching Today

2009-06-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

In the modern world, as people’s lives become more complex and they are offered greater opportunities, they may also realise that they have been presented with a wider range of choices; and the multiplicity and challenge of these choices means that they often need external objective guidance and support.

That support can now be found in the form of a professional Coach.

Strangely this guide or coach does not offer specific answers to these life challenges or choices, nor does the coach offer their client relevant technical/professional knowledge or support. The coach operates from the clear presupposition that their client already has all the resources necessary and by the use of skilful questioning seeks to enable them to access their hidden or even dormant potential.

A coach regards their client as a skilled, whole and resourceful individual within their own areas of expertise. The coach is also skilled and expert in the art of “not knowing”, in listening and asking powerful questions that provide the mirror, the necessary objective enabling external perspective on the clients’ life. It is this new perspective – that ah ha! moment that produces those exciting, motivating, and for some, life changing results in their personal life, family interactions, work place or if they are a senior executive, their whole company.

Simply put – Coaching reintroduces individuals to the potential of their own internal resources.

The European Coaching Institute (ECI) http://www.europeancoachinginstitute.org
defines coaching as “ Coaching is a simple yet effective form of personal development where the client and coach create an alliance that promotes and sustains the client’s personal growth and competence”

Modern coaches come from a wide variety of backgrounds, with a common belief that their clients have the innate potential to achieve greatness and that the coach is the enabling catalyst.

Today’s coaches help clients to take an initial inventory of the balance of their lives, explore where they have and where they wish to commit their energy, understand their core beliefs and values – and with this knowledge enable them to move onwards by facilitating the removal of their limiting beliefs, and by setting realistic and achievable goals or outcomes move quickly into a focused and sustainable future.

The modern ECI Coach is professionally trained with a comprehensive “Tool Bag” that includes powerful questions that helps a client to cease their evasion and confusion, and guide them towards clarity, action and discovering themselves at a far deeper level.

There are at least 23 headings for these questions ranging from anticipation, assessment, and clarification to resources, summary and taking action. Specific questions at the correct time achieve tangible results that change your clients’ reality and enable them to achieve.

There are also other tools available to the coach, including psychometrics, NLP, counselling skills, and their own life experience gained across a diverse variety of backgrounds.

When considering your own or company coaching requirements look to those that have been trained by an international certifying body such as the European Coaching Institute on http://www.europeancoachinginstitute.org

John Fielder is an experienced and accredited Master Coach, certified NLP Coach, NLP Master and NLP Trainer.

He is also a Chartered HR and Management professional (MCIPD & FCMI) with proven expertise in coaching, training, transition management, assessment centres and career development.

You can contact him at 01344 303370, http://www.johnfielder.holisticlocal.co.uk
or johnfielder@btopenworld.com

The current economy and its effects on would be retirees staying in the job market

2009-01-21T23:52:00.000-08:00

I was asked about the following on Linkedin, "The current economy and its effects on would be retirees staying in the job market" and my response is below,

The points raised are interesting, though it may be worth expanding the debate to consider the generations in the workplace and their work preferences and styles, ie, Traditionalist ~ Born pre-1945, Baby Boomers ~ Born 1946-1964, Generation X ~ Born 1965-1980 and Generation Y (Millenials) ~ Born 1980 - 2000.

Also organisational styles, or the management styles inherent within organisations Riding the Waves of Culture, Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1993, 1997) pp. 157-181 who postulate that there are different corporate cultures that are shaped by the cultural preferences of their leaders and employees.

These preferences can be described as four types,

(i) The Family ~ Person - orientated culture.
(ii) The Eiffel Tower ~ Role - orientated culture.
(iii) The Guided Missile ~ Project - orientated culture.
(iv) The Incubator ~ Fulfilment - orientated culture.

Other areas to be considered are the evolutionary stages within the individuals life, the Wholeness Years (56-63), Lifeshift, Ferguson, 1999 pp. 190-222 and the Self-full Years 63+ pp. 223-226.

Plus the work of many other authors including The Seasons of a Mans Life, Levinson, 1978.

The latest work on the brains ageing process, (the degradation of the myelin sheaths), the speed of new learning, acquiring new skills and responding to stimuli is interesting, as is the still classic work of Jung on individuation and Jolande Jacobi, a Jungian analyst, has a paragraph in her book entitled The Way of Individuation, which may have some relevance here also.

She writes, "Like a seed growing into a tree, life unfolds stage by stage. Triumphant ascent, collapse, crises, failures, and new beginnings strew the way. It is the path trodden by the great majority of mankind, as a rule unreflectingly, unconsciously, unsuspectingly, following its labyrinthine windings from birth to death in hope and longing. It is hedged about with struggle and suffering, joy and sorrow, guilt and error, and nowhere is there security from catastrophe. For as soon as a man tries to escape every risk and prefers to experience life only in his head, in the form of ideas and fantasies, as soon as he surrenders to opinions of ‘how it ought to be’ and, in order not to make a false step, imitates others whenever possible, he forfeits the chance of his own independent development. Only if he treads the path bravely and flings himself into life, fearing no struggle and no exertion and fighting shy of no experience, will he mature his personality more fully than the man who is ever trying to keep to the safe side of the road."

I could move to onto emotional intelligence, preferred learning styles and personality types using the MBTI and Enneagram as beacons on the road less travelled by those over 60.

However, as the changes in those who are 60 plus can be so profound, i.e. moving away from the classic egoist approach to what is a post career consolidated wisdom centred focus on life, this may be really alien to the younger interviewer who mistakes the slowness of response for disinterest or inability rather than a deep reflection on the myriad of experiences that can be brought to the answer. This answer and subsequent ones from someone of this age group will be of immense benefit to the company, if the Generation X interviewers have the depth of understanding (wit) to appreciate it.